Being involved in any type of road construction work can be life-threatening. Whether workers are building bridges or paving roadways in Colorado or other states, the hazards are plentiful. A worker recently suffered a fatal workplace injury on a road repairs site in another state.
A police report shows that the incident occurred shortly before 10:30 on a recent morning at a location at which a crew of workers was busy with a paving project. Witnesses with food stalls in the area reported that there were multiple construction vehicles and many workers scurrying about every day. The report indicates that a 69-year-old worker lost his life when he was run over by a construction vehicle.
Reportedly, the worker was busy with the paving on the road surface when the operator of a street sweeper failed to see him. The heavy vehicle knocked the worker down and traveled over him. The man was trapped underneath the street sweeper, and when he was extricated after a long struggle, he was airlifted to the hospital. Sadly, troopers say he had succumbed to his injuries by the time the helicopter reached the hospital.
The workers’ compensation insurance system allows the surviving family members of any worker who suffers a fatal workplace injury to claim death benefits. The insurance program typically provides grieving families in Colorado with funds to cover the costs of end-of-life arrangements. Furthermore, to assist dependents with daily living expenses and financial obligations such as rent or a mortgage, a financial package — based on the deceased worker’s average weekly wage — may be awarded.
Source: news4jax.com, “FHP: Construction worker killed by street sweeper“, Nicole Snyder, May 13, 2016